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Bottled Water: An Unnecessary Crutch

Almost everyone realizes the importance of water consumption,
but not everyone understands the negative personal and environmental
consequences of their water consumption habits. Bottled water, especially in
the United States, has become a major source of drinking water since the 1980’s.
Of the 50 billion water bottles consumed every year, approximately 30 billion
are from consumption in the US alone. That means that water bottles in the
United States are consumed at a rate of 1,500 per second. The production of
said water bottles alone requires the use of about 17,000 barrels of oil; that
number jumps up to about 50,000 barrels if the pumping, refrigerating, and
transporting of the water bottles are factored in to the equation. An abundance
of resources and time are used to create a product that is completely unnecessary.

In addition to the colossal waste of energy and resources
that accompanies the industry, bottled water is clearly disastrous for the
environment. Made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, water
bottles break down into smaller pieces that then absorb toxins and pollute soil
and waterways. Many of the environmental issues caused by PET’s could be
greatly reduced if every water bottle was recycled; unfortunately, the national
recycle rate for PET’s is only 23 percent, leaving 38 billion water bottles to
be thrown out every year.

The damage caused by water bottle consumption isn’t limited
to just environmental consequences. There is also quite a bit of evidence that using
plastic water bottles is bad for human health. Over time, plastic can dissolve
into the water it holds, potentially causing certain types of cancer as well as
reproductive complications. So, is there any true benefit to the production and
consumption of bottled water? Is there any valid reason for someone in the
United States to rely on such a harmful and counterproductive hydration habit?
The simple answer is that, unless you live in Flint, Michigan, there are certainly
healthier and more environmentally sustainable hydration choices!